Support for the lowering of the voting age was limited among young Australians and lacking in those already eligible to vote, according to a mock referendum at the University of Queensland's weekend Expo Uni.
Conducted by the Department of Government, the referendum found only 52 percent of those under the present voting age wanted an extension of voting rights to include 16 and 17 year olds.
Department head Associate Professor Paul Boreham said those already eligible to vote in federal and state elections and who took part in the referendum overwhelmingly favoured the status quo with 72 percent opposing extending the franchise to 16 year olds.
However, Dr Boreham also cautioned that the several hundreds of people taking part in the referendum were not necessarily statistically representative of the wider population.
Over recent years a number of lobby groups representing young Australians had seriously advocated reducing the voting age, he said.
'There have been claims that 16 and 17 year olds are now better educated than ever before, able to assess issues in a mature way, and should be entitled to vote because many government decisions directly affect their lives,' Dr Boreham said.
'The modest level of support among young people themselves suggests that advocates of a lower qualifying age have much work to do to sell the idea.'
Dr Boreham said the strongest argument for reducing the voting age to 16 was that it might encourage young Australians to take a greater interest in their rights and responsibilities as citizens.
'Too many young Australians resist efforts made in our schools to teach them about civics because they are able to say 'I don't have to bother about this until I reach eighteen'."
Professor Boreham said the qualifying age for enrolling and voting in federal elections was last reduced by parliament in 1973 from 21 to 18 years.
For further information contact Dr Ian Ward (returning officer for the Department of Government's Expo Uni referendum) on 3365 2662
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